


sonorous

by prixyaa (dulcemer)



Series: susurrous nights [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Depression, Experimental Style, F/F, McCarthy-style, Mental Health Issues, Mutant Powers, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 19:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14291919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dulcemer/pseuds/prixyaa
Summary: chika dazzles riko in more ways than one





	sonorous

**Author's Note:**

> uuuuh idk where i was going stylistically with this i just wanted to write in a voice i felt best described depression

chika dazzles riko in more ways than one

  
the first way is obvious  
anyone can see how chika radiates pure light from the palm of her hands  
kept pressed together to keep it from escaping  
every girl has an ability they cant seem to hide  
something theyre newly ashamed of

  
dia pointed out the elephant in the room  
that whatever gave them these powers was surely the same thing that turned the adults into monsters  
suddenly the powers werent fun anymore

it was scarier for her  
riko assumed  
her newfound strength  
skin as hard as steel  
she was too scared to hold her sisters hand

and as hanamaru slipped in and out of visibility  
and yoshiko drifted to the ceiling  
weightless  
riko wondered if these were a blessing or a curse

chika  
on the other hand  
she _dazzled_

in a light that blinded the other mutants  
the unlucky mutants  
the one whose powers twisted them into gnarled ghosts of themselves  
till they took the streets searching for the flesh of those young enough to control their abilities

chikas powers had saved them  
so surely they couldnt be that bad

and riko  
could riko even consider hers a power?  
  
for riko it was like  
as if before the fall before she might as well have seen in black and white  
because the night before it all kicked off  
she went to sleep  
and awoke in an explosion of colour

ruby helpfully identified it as synaesthesia  
albeit a much more extreme version  
riko didnt hear her properly at first  
too busy focused on the splotches of vivid red that were obscuring her vision

it was beautiful and frustrating all the same  
ruby could heal with a touch  
kanan could breathe underwater  
what use was riko?

the other mutants had a distinct colour  
a blend of purple and red  
sometimes mixed in with a deep blue  
the colours or rage and anguish  
sometimes she could see them before they could see her  
their growls lighting up a path  
one to avoid

she was useful for warnings she supposed  
but when it came down to the nitty gritty  
she was all but helpful

well  
maybe she wasnt useful to the others  
but there was one good thing to come out of this  
riko thinks at least  
  
chikas voice dazzles brighter than her lights  
riko didnt know why  
a warm yellow haze  
like staring directly at the sun as it sets  
it was breath-taking

maybe it was a selfish thought  
to appreciate this as a chance to be closer to chika  
theres nothing wrong with that right?  
to want to be close to someone?

even now holed up in the auditorium  
with the sound of tormented wailing occasionally breaking the drab  
with a violent streak of red  
it doesnt feel that bad with chika  
a few spaces beside her

yoshiko sniffles in the corner  
trying to cover up the sound

dia is the only other awake standing guard  
a protective arm wrapped around her younger sister

mari and kanan are wrapped up in the corner  
riko doesnt bother to look it  
only made her envious of what she didnt have

_are you awake?_

a quiet voice  
a blanket of yellow

quietly riko takes chikas hand  
a silent confirmation  
yes  
she doesnt want to wake the others  
but honestly  
no one really slept these days

_ive been thinking about earlier_

her fingers lightly trace over rikos palm  
moments like these left her dizzy and confused  
sometimes she feels guilty  
wonders if you knows what they get up together  
in hushed whispers  
faces inch away from each  
other she knows shes not the only one in love  
riko sighs  
lights dance in the corner of her eyes

_what about earlier?_

chika frowns

_what you said about feeling down_

chikas face is too serious  
it strikes a chord inside riko that rings deep  
she doest want to be the cause of that face

_everyone feels down_

chikas brow furrows and rikos heart flips  
how cute

_no yours is different_

  
it is but she cant tell chika that

chika  
despite everything  
is the shining beacon of hope  
when everything seemed lost on the first day  
chikas lights had saved them from the mutants  
chikas words had saved them from themselves

there isnt much hope to be found in an abandoned school  
where your old teachers claw at the sliding doors  
barricaded with desks and chairs

chika found the hope and she made sure everyone else found it too

thats why she wouldnt relent  
she would bury her way into riko and draw the hope out of her

_you need medication dont you?_

riko stiffens  
she knows chika felt it  
chikas hand closes around rikos and she brings it to her chest

_i want to help you_

her tone is determined and it scares riko  
scares her how absolute chika is  
so steadfast and immovable

her reply comes in pieces  
stuck in her throat

 _i_  
_its not that easy_  
_you couldnt_  
_even if you wanted to_  
_im sorry_

-

morning comes and chika is gone  
ruby and you are also missing  
and this isnt a surprise  
the girls often split into their sub units for raids

what is surprising  
is that no one had agreed to let them go

decisions like that were made communally  
after all  
outside was a mess  
none of them should go out without telling someone else  
in rikas opinion none of them should go out at all

_are you sure none of them said anything to you?_

dia is stressed  
riko is sympathetic  
shed become so much more protective over her since the fall

mari tries to calm her down  
failing miserably  
theres nothing that will soothe her except her sister safely in the auditorium

riko drifts away to the roof  
she finds hanamaru there too  
legs crossed around the railings  
eyes focused on the streets

_any sign?_

hanamaru shakes her head  
adds no colour to rikos world

riko joins her on her watch

the silence is comfortable enough

-

a few hours later chika returns  
ruby and you are in tow  
no one has been harmed

riko sees her before she actually sees her  
a yellow spark catches the corner of her eye  
peeking from behind a corner shop

dia is furious  
no one is surprised by that  
she doesnt address them at first  
stares chika down as she comes forward  
admits it was her idea

_dont blame ruby or you_

_i dont intend to_

-

you and chika are sat talking together  
in the orchestra pit  
riko watches from the mezzanine

chika and yous voices blend so seamlessly together  
chikas bright yellow whispers and yous melancholic blue  
they make a beautiful sea green

riko cant see her own voice

she doesnt have to  
to know it probably doesnt blend as well

-

they gather to eat  
dia insisted they retained some level of normalcy  
a group meal makes them feel like school girls again  
like the days theyd gather on the rooftop for a picnic after idol practice  
simpler times

before riko sits down  
chika takes her hand

_i got something for you_

riko blinks  
unsure

_in the raid?_

chika nods  
dread pools in rikos stomach

_chika if you risked yourself for me-_

_dont_  
_ruby and you agreed_  
_i didnt tell them why though_  
_please take them_

in her hand is a pink box  
riko thought it was always comical how they were packaged  
inside a row of tiny green and yellow pills

_itll take a while for them to take effect_

_i know_

_i just dont want you to think theyre not working_  
_if I dont get happy straight away_

 _i just want to help you somehow_  
_even a little_  
_im not expecting this to be a miracle cure_

riko finds it in herself to smile

the one she receives from chika in return is enough for her to fake at being happy  
even though the pills in her hand are the wrong ones

-

that night dia addresses the group  
shes the leader for now  
chika might have got the group out of the school yard in the first hour  
but she was never cut out for long term leadership  
no one else wanted the responsibility  
but dia was student council president  
if anyone could do it it was her

_we need to address what happened this morning_

her voice echoes through the hall  
a steely opaque blue  
chika shrinks into her seat

 _in our present situation_  
_we cant condone this kind of reckless behaviour_  
_im not in any place to punish anyone_

she looks from chika to ruby to you

 _but understand that all you did was put yourselves_  
_and potentially the rest of us at risk_

ruby looks close to tears  
dia pauses  
she sighs

 _however_  
_ive come to understand that there was a pressing need for the raid_

now riko shifts uncomfortably  
chika wouldnt have told dia her secret  
but dia wasnt stupid  
if shed seen the pills she wouldve figured it out

 _ill be frank_  
_we are in a very dire situation_  
_with extreme circumstances_

_theres no use in trying to keep secrets from each other_

glancing around the room  
riko isnt alone  
theres a sense of comradery  
as the other girls shuffle in their seats

 _tomorrow i will be organising a group raid on the pharmacy_  
_its a few streets away_  
_but if we go in the early hours we should be fine_

realisation dawns on a few  
yoshiko looks close to tears

_im not going to make anyone admit anything to the group_

she pauses again  
tries to find the right words

 _but i think itll be beneficial_  
_if you each come to me at some point_  
_and tell me what kind of prescription medicine you may need_

she sighs again  
her stern demeaner falters for a brief moment  
the blue softens into her more familiar warm red

_i dont want anyone to suffer anymore than they already have_

riko closes her eyes in defeat  
she _was_ selfish after all

-

as the group disperses  
riko loiters behind  
hanamaru has the same idea  
but balks at the sight of riko  
she doesnt blame her  
this was going to be hard enough

 _dia_  
_can we talk please?_

dia smiles sadly

_i already know about you riko_

riko shakes her head

 _no she_  
_chika got the wrong ones_  
_ive tried prozac before and it didnt work_  
_i was on cipramil instead its better for_  
_for panic attacks_

she pauses

 _please dont tell chika_  
_i dont want her to think she made a mistake_  
_after they_ _went through all that_

dia nods

 _of course_  
_ill add it to the list_

riko doesnt smile  
but there is a weight lifted  
somewhere in her chest

-

riko lays down next to chika  
once again  
they are barely a foot apart  
and chika mumbles in her dreams  
sending riko to sleep with a beautiful sunset

**Author's Note:**

> i have more ideas for this au so i might write more in the future  
> mainly bc i left shit rly vague lmao


End file.
